Mastery: Women in Silver

QEST Scholars Hazel Thorn, Megan Falconer and Anna Lorenz, along with QEST Skills Assessor Ndidi Ekubia, all have work featured in Mastery, the first exhibition to focus on the UK’s exceptionally talented contemporary women designer silversmiths. Fifty years ago, it would have been impossible to assemble an exhibition like this, as there were so few women working in the field. What was once a totally male discipline has been transformed within three generations.

The Mastery exhibitors represent a large cohort of women working at the highest level of silversmithing and include long-established and mid-career artists alongside some emerging makers of exceptional promise. The work itself was chosen to highlight both the diversity of women’s practice and their largely unacknowledged role as innovators. The resulting group of work illustrates a profound understanding of materials and processes and finally lays to rest the curious notion that silversmithing was an unsuitable occupation for a woman. On the contrary, unconstrained by the weight of tradition, women’s silversmithing has brought refreshing new approaches to an ancient craft.

Look closely and you will discover a sense of fun and a vein of playfulness, as well as an intention to surprise, delight, question and subvert. Such feats are only achievable by those working at the very top of their game: masters of their craft.

Exhibitors: Juliette Bigley. Jocelyn Burton. Ane Christensen. Angela Cork. Maureen Edgar. Ndidi Ekubia. Megan Falconer. Na’ama Haneman. Miriam Hanid. Rauni Higson. Kathryn Hinton. Simone ten Hompel. Jessica Jue. Kyosun Jung. Nan Nan Liu. Anna Lorenz. Sheila McDonald. Claire Malet. Jacqueline Mina. Cara Murphy. Theresa Nguyen. Rebecca de Quin. Pamela Rawnsley. Jane Short. Mary Ann Simmons. Hazel Thorn. Adi Toch. Katie Watson. Tamar de Vries Winter

Curated by Dr Elizabeth Goring